


On Top of the Tree

by akingnotaprincess



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Angst, Christmas, Gen, Post-Season/Series 06
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-08
Updated: 2011-12-08
Packaged: 2020-10-14 16:53:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20604122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akingnotaprincess/pseuds/akingnotaprincess
Summary: The Doctor visits the Starship UK around Christmas time.





	On Top of the Tree

The second time the Doctor visited the Starship UK, it had been about four years since his original visit, in their time, and this time he was alone. 

He wanted to remain anonymous this visit, not to get involved in politics and try his best to not let Liz Ten to know he was aboard. For once he just wanted to be normal.

The Doctor noticed that several young children were running in the direction of the town square, screaming about how they were going to be late for the lighting. He looked around him. Oh, London was full decorated for Christmas. Lampposts had wreaths, the artificial trees had twinkling lights, even some shops had signs that read 'Christmas Tree Lighting Sale, Everything 25% Off!'. 

So he followed the children to the tree. He was pushed and shoved by strangers but he didn't mind one bit. No one would have dared to shove away and curse an insult at the Oncoming Storm, but here, for this one moment, that wasn't who he was.

The Christmas Tree was magnificent. It looked around the same size and width as the tree that was placed in New York City's Rockefeller Center each year. Of course this tree was not a Norwegian Spruce. It was completely artificial, but by the look on the Londoners faces, they didn't care a bit. 

From his place in the back of the crowd, the Doctor had to squint to see Liz Ten on top of the stage next to the huge tree. Beside Liz Ten was Hawnthorne, who seemed to be in the beginning stages of going bald, and a young blonde-haired girl, most likely around the age of sixteen. 

The crowd was silenced when Liz Ten yelled into her microphone, "Good evening, Londoners!"

The Doctor tried to stand on his tip-toes to see better, but even with his tall stature it was pretty much impossible to get a decent view.

"I know what you are all here for, so I won't keep you waiting any longer! Our own Mandy Tanner will now light the tree!"

Too surprised that the girl on stage was the same he'd met before, the Doctor joined in the countdown with the rest of the crowd, and watched as Mandy pressed a button when everyone chanted 'zero' and the tree was lit.

It was so bright that it practically lit the entire town square by itself. The tree was decorated with miles of tinsel. Oversized children's toys hung from the tree as ornaments. What impressed the Doctor the most about the tree was the star. They had fashioned the star not as an angel or even as a long lost constellation, but as a Star Whale. 

The Doctor thought it was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. And he concluded that he really didn't deserve to be a part of this.

Silently, he left the cheering crowd, doing his best to block them out. When he arrived at his TARDIS he breathed a sigh, not out of relief but out of pain.


End file.
